The Charming Old World Nostalgia of Hotel Delmaar hits the Capital

A quaint sanctuary that stands as an ode to a bygone era of glamour, charm, and expat traditions, Hotel Delmaar is the newest addition to Azure Hospitality’s successful repertoire of contemporary dining favourites such as Mamagoto, Dhaba and Sly Granny. Co-founded by Kabir Suri and Rahul Khanna and backed by Goldman Sachs and Max Ventures, Azure Hospitality has consistently managed to enthrall us with their carefully curated food and beverage experiences that are aligned with their mission to create nouveau culinary concepts and unwavering service standards.

Hotel Delmaar

Stepping into Hotel Delmaar is like taking a quick trip through a time portal which transports diners from the boisterous sounds and the maddening rush of the mall to a quiet space that is reminiscent of a 1920’s romance. Romanticism is reinforced through every element of the dining space; whether it is the French louvered windows, the wood finishes, the cane furniture, and vintage wallpaper, or the menu which features a mix of small and big Mediterranean plates elevated for the refined palate. It is rare to find such familiarity and nostalgia summoned simply through the experience created, especially in a time when modern and contemporary are the buzzwords to live by.

“Much of the inspiration for Hotel Delmaar comes from our own personal travels to Cairo, Galle, Luang Prabang, and an affinity towards a quaint old world charm that is so rare now in the modern contemporary space. I think we especially like the juxtaposition created by opening Hotel Delmaar inside the mall. It creates a distinct shift to ‘the other side’ when one walks through our doors,” said the founding duo, who joined us for a quick chat about their recently launched restaurant.

The geniality of Delmaar aside, the beautifully curated menu designed by cuisine director of Azure Hospitality, Janti Duggal, offers fare from the Southern Spanish region, Middle-Eastern and North African cuisine, and a few selections from the Greek islands. Dishes like the garlic and paprika prawns boast of a light freshness of coastal fare, while the lamb merguez’s warm, earthy flavours have been drawn from the traditional tagine preparations of the Middle-East.

L: Wild Mushroom Tagliatelle ; R: Pork Chops

We highly recommend the Pork Chops which are cooked to perfection and feel like you are slicing through butter. For vegetarians, do yourself a favour and order the truffle-scented Wild Mushroom Tagliatelle which was the unanimous hit on our supper table for vegetarians & meat eaters alike.

It is especially interesting to look at the food of Hotel Delmaar alongside Sly Granny, the predecessor to Delmaar and also a product of Azure Hospitality, with respect to their distinct interpretations of the European cuisine. ‘At Delmaar food is wholesome and recognizably familiar in its taste profile, we offer healthy options too with gluten-free, keto friendly, and vegan alternatives. At Sly Granny the food is heartier, more innovative and experimental because the inspiration there isn’t nostalgia, allowing for a more creative and playful approach,’ Duggal points out.

L: Pomegranate & Rosemary Sangria; R : Rosé & Berry Sangria

Well, it’s impossible to talk about Hotel Delmaar’s menu without mentioning their refreshing sangrias, complete with uniquely complex yet well-balanced flavours. Our favourites include their summer stone sangria, a red wine sangria packed with apricots, plums & cherries and their rosé & elderflower sangria, a delicate fruity bouquet coupled with by the sweetness of elderflower. We ask Duggal about the profile of the diners coming in, to which she says, “I’d say that we offer robust flavourful food, and specifically with Delmaar, food that is exotic in that it captures the quintessential old-fashioned glamour of the 20’s. Most importantly though, we focus on maintaining the taste and freshness of our ingredients. So as such there isn’t a profile, we have something for everyone on our menu.”

Having celebrated nearly a decade in the F&B industry Suri and Khanna don’t seem to be slowing down their momentum, ‘Vision 2020 has a lot of exciting projects in the pipeline, but broadly we are looking to double our size in terms of the number of restaurants and create a potential international footprint.’ Looking at their impressive figures which show a growth of nearly 50% percent year by year in the last five years, we can be rest assured that there are many more concepts from the Azure Hospitality umbrella coming our way and we couldn’t be more excited!